DESA News, November 2013

Securing financing for sustainable development | Weaving a single thread for people and planet| Rebuilding the trust

of Internet users

Global dialogue on development: A dynamic dialogue for Sustainable Development Goals, Summary of the Second Committee General Debate Trends and analysis: Addressing neglect, abuse and violence of older women, Meeting of the London Group on Environmental Accounting, Compiling water accounts and statistics Capacity development: Integrating gender into Statistics, Quality of teaching really matters, Shifting from power to empowerment Publications and websites | Comings and goings | Calendar

UN Home | UN DESA Home November 2013, Vol. 17, No. 11

Feature Articles

Securing financing for sustainable development

New and innovative sources of financing are needed to supplement decreasing Official Development Assistance, but these should be additional to traditional assistance and not a substitute for it: this is one of the conclusions of the 6th High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development. In this video interview, Shari Spiegel, from the Financing for Development Office, explains why development assistance should remain a priority, regardless of the financial crisis.

Watch the Youtube video: http://youtu.be/LCIbDSyo3FM

The biennial High-level Dialogue, which took place this year on 7-8 October in New York, is the major intergovernmental focal point for the follow-up to the 2002 Monterrey Conference on Financing for Development and the 2008 Doha Review Conference. The Monterrey Conference brought together all major stakeholders for the first time to discuss issues relevant to financing for development, given the pressing need to raise additional resources. In this spirit, the recent High-level Dialogue brought together Member States and representatives from major stakeholders, including the IMF, World Bank, UNCTAD, UNDP, the Financial Stability Board, and representatives from the private sector, academics and civil society from around the world. They discussed how to incentivize the global financial system to work for the benefits of equitable sustainable development for all. During this meeting, Member States and UN officials called for maintaining international commitments, as well as for increasing domestic resource mobilization, engaging the private sector, and fostering international trade to sustain economic growth and fuel sustainable development.

Improve access to credit

A range of issues were discussed from the role of private sector financing to Official Development Assistance (ODA), and the impact of the 2007-2008 financial crisis on financing for development. The participants explored the possible responses to this crisis and solutions to increase the stability of the financial system while ensuring that the financial system fulfils its role of intermediating credit. “At the UN we emphasize that ensuring the stability of the financial system is incredibly important, but it has to go hand in hand with access to credit. We need to focus on financing for small and medium-size enterprises, for small

www.un.org/desa November 2013, Vol. 17, No. 11

DESA News | Newsletter of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2

entities, and to create an inclusive financing system that would work for everybody around the globe”, explains Shari Spiegel, Chief, Policy Analysis & Development Branch, at UN DESA’s Financing for Development Office.

Building on the Monterrey Consensus

The overall theme of this, the sixth high-level dialogue on the issue, was “The Monterrey Consensus, Doha Declaration on Financing for Development and related outcomes of major UN conferences and summits: status of implementation and tasks ahead.”

The Monterrey Consensus, adopted at the International Conference on Financing for Development in 2002, is a landmark partnership agreement for global development. It covered a number of topics, including domestic resource mobilization, foreign direct investment (FDI) and other foreign flows, trade, official development assistance (ODA), debt relief and systemic issues.

It was followed in 2008 by the Doha Declaration, adopted at the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development, which emphasized, among other things, the need to urgently meet the agreed ODA target of 0.7 per cent of donor countries’ gross national income (GNI), and underscored the importance of strengthening the World Trade Organization (WTO) with special and differential treatment for developing countries. Today, however, ODA is around 0.31 per cent of national income of developed countries, having fallen 6 per cent in real terms over the past two years.

Need of a follow-up to Monterrey

“Among the outcomes of this discussion, we could see the beginning of an agreement on the need to have a follow-up conference to Monterrey. It would look into how the Monterrey Consensus can be used today to address new global challenges, and how we should build on this consensus to address global challenges”, mentioned Shari Spiegel. “The second thing that came out of the meeting was that there was a real excitement amongst civil society and other participants about the new opportunity the post-2015 development agenda gives us to rethink how we can work together to make the financial system work in the interest of all human beings and help create a better globe for all of us.”

Difficulties to fulfil pledges

Addressing participants, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon encouraged all countries to fulfil their pledges and meet their development assistance targets. “For many developing countries, and in particular the most vulnerable, predictable levels of ODA remain critical,” Mr. Ban said, adding that he was “deeply concerned” about the recent decline in ODA.

Mr. Ban also emphasized the private sector’s vital role in financing and investing for a more sustainable and prosperous world. “A strong financial commitment to human solidarity today will improve prosperity and security tomorrow,” he noted.

Financing sustainable development and post-2015 agenda

Participants were also part of roundtables and an informal interactive dialogue on the impact of the crisis on the reform of monetary and financial systems and implications for development; mobilization of public and private financing; and the role of financial and technical development cooperation, including new and innovative mechanisms, in leveraging resources for sustainable development.

In a report produced by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and released in July 2012, the UN proposed a series of financial mechanisms to raise $400 billion annually for development needs, which would be additional to traditional ODA.

The informal dialogue was focusing on the link between financing for development and achieving the eight MDGs and advancing the post-2015 agenda.

More about the Sixth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development: http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/hld/HLD2013/index.htm



Weaving a single thread for people and planet

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) being devised by the General Assembly’s Open Working Group could mark an evolution in United Nations development thinking. The Group will come together for its fifth session from 25 – 27 November 2013 in New York, to discuss sustained and inclusive economic growth, macroeconomic policy questions, infrastructure development and industrialization, and energy.

“Properly conceived, the sustainable development goals offer a transformative moment,” said Nikhil Seth, Director of UN DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development. Past development efforts had often kept to thematic silos. “Discussions on the post-Rio+20 and post-2015 agendas made evident that a truly integrative vision is needed,” he explained. There are essentially two sets of challenges: achieving universal human development and ensuring humanity does not exceed critical ecological thresholds. “The sustainable development goals have the potential of weaving one strong, resilient thread out of these two very closely associated – but until now separate – strands,” said Mr Seth.

A proposal for SDGs

At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June 2012, United Nations Member States had agreed that a set of SDGs should be developed by an Open Working Group. The Group had its first meeting in March 2013. From this first meeting through to February 2014, it will discuss key themes related to sustainable development and how these might be reflected in the SDGs. In its second phase of work, from February to September 2014, the Group will prepare a proposal for SDGs and present it to the General Assembly.

Participation in the 30-member Open Working Group entails an innovative regional rotational procedure that allows for the actual

participation of 70 countries. However, all 193 United Nations Member States, as well as representatives of civil society Major Groups, can attend meetings.

Report shows good progress

The good progress made during the Open Working Group’s first four sessions has been summarized in a Co-Chairs’ progress report. It emphasizes the wide support for a single post-2015 United Nations development framework containing a single set of goals – goals that are universally applicable to all countries but adaptable to different national realities and priorities. The advancement and completion of the Millennium Development Goals is seen as the starting point of the SDGs. However, the latter will need to be more comprehensive, balanced, ambitious and transformative, also addressing the challenges ahead.

Furthermore, the report maintains that poverty eradication remains the overall objective of the international community. It underlines that poverty eradication can only be made irreversible if sustainable development is considered in a holistic manner. This means incorporating its social, economic and environmental dimensions.

The Open Working Group covered a wide range of issues in its first meetings, including the following subject areas: (i) conceptualizing the sustainable development goals; (ii) poverty eradication; (iii) food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, desertification, land degradation and drought; (iv) water and sanitation; (v) employment and decent work for all, social protection, youth, education and culture; (vi) health and population dynamics.

Involvement of non-state actors is central

Involving non-state actors in the Open Working Group process has been central from the beginning, and there are a number of ways for them to engage. Like all sustainable development processes convened under the United Nations, the Open Working Group interacts with stakeholders through the Major Groups structure. Representatives from each of the nine Major Groups participate as official observers. Beginning with the third session, the Co-Chairs of the Open Working Group also held daily meetings with representatives of Major Groups and other stakeholders before the start of the official part of the meetings. Contributions to the sustainable development goals process can also be made online, through the Thematic Clusters on the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. Further details on the upcoming session, which will be live-streamed, can be found here: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?menu=1665 Link to the Major Groups section of the SDKP: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/majorgroups.html#intro



Rebuilding the trust of Internet users

While reaffirming the need to strengthen the multi-stakeholder approach to Internet governance, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which took place from 22-25 October in Bali, Indonesia, concluded with an acknowledgement that surveillance is the major emerging issue of the year. In the context of the recent revelations about government-led Internet surveillance activities, the Forum discussed the need to ensure better protection of all citizens in the online environment.

The theme of this 8th Forum was ‘ ‘Building Bridges – Enhancing Multistakeholder Cooperation for Growth and Sustainable Development’. The annual IGF has become the unique multi-stakeholder platform for discussions on all policy issues related to the Internet. Nearly 1,500 delegates from 111 different countries participated.

Surveillance practices and democratic framework

Discussions also explored how to reach a proper balance between actions driven by national security concerns and the respect for internationally recognized human rights, such as the right to privacy and freedom of expression. Several focus sessions and workshops touched upon these issues, thus generating a truly multistakeholder dialogue, focused on the need to rebuild the trust of Internet users, which has been seriously affected by these actions. It was underlined throughout the week that any Internet surveillance practices motivated by security concerns should only happen within a truly democratic framework, ensuring their adequacy, proportionality, due process and judicial oversight.

Mr. Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in UN DESA attended the opening ceremony of the Internet Governance Forum and addressed the audience, on behalf of Mr. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, underlining

the importance of the IGF as the “premier multistakeholder forum for policy dialogue related to Internet governance issues” and reaffirmed the support of the United Nations for the multistakeholder model for Internet governance that the IGF embodies.

Human rights on the Internet

While maintaining the traditional IGF thematic discussions, the 8th IGF introduced new formats and refocused some of the forum’s traditional issues, in an attempt to keep the Forum in line with the evolving landscape of Internet governance discussions. The meeting featured for the first time a focused plenary session dedicated to human rights on the Internet and also included cross-cutting discussions on principles of Internet governance and the multistakeholder governance model of the Internet, principles championed by the IGF inspired by the Tunis Agenda. The Bali meeting also strived to produce some more tangible outcomes or ‘take-aways’ for participants and those following remotely. Each of the plenary sessions addressed specific policy questions and aimed to analyze both convergent and divergent views on the various topics.

The various sub-themes for the Forum included: Access and Diversity – Internet as an Engine for Growth and Sustainable Development; Openness – Human rights, Freedom of Expression and Free Flow of Information on the Internet; Security – Legal and other Frameworks: Spam, Hacking and Cyber-crime; Enhanced Cooperation; Principles of Multistakeholder Cooperation and Internet Governance Principles. 135 focus sessions, workshops, open forums, flash sessions and other meetings took place over the event.

How to best utilize the Internet in development

Throughout the week delegates’ exchanged information and shared best practices with one another on a wide variety of Internet governance issues, as the forum aimed to facilitate a mutual understanding of how to best utilize the Internet in development efforts and also mitigate risks and challenges that might arise as a result of emerging technologies.

The Internet Governance Forum has met annually since the 2006 World Summit on the Information Society to foster a common understanding of how to maximize Internet opportunities and address emerging risks and challenge. The IGF (which is not a decision-making body) is also intended as a space for developing countries to be granted the same opportunity as wealthier nations to engage in the debate on Internet governance, as well as to facilitate their participation in existing institutions and arrangements.

The annual IGF has become the major multi-stakeholder platform for discussions on all policy issues related to the



Internet. It is a neutral space that provides all stakeholders an equal footing. Each year it prepares the grounds for negotiations at the highest levels in other institutions.

For more information on the IGF and to access the archived transcripts and webcasts from the meeting, visit the IGF website: http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/



Global Dialogue on Development

Making migration work for all

The High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD) was held on 3 and 4 October 2013, marking the second time in history that the United Nations considered international migration and development in the General Assembly. With consideration

of Secretary-General’s report for HLD an outcome Declaration has been adopted.

Watch the Youtube video: http://youtu.be/rfKH4UamMo8

The overall theme of the 2013 HLD was identifying concrete measures to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels in order to enhance the benefits of migration and to address its challenges. The report of the Secretary-General for the HLD (A/68/190), prepared by DESA with inputs from the Global Migration Group (GMG) and the SRSG for Migration, identified an 8-point agenda for action, with concrete measures to protect the rights of migrants and to leverage the benefits of migration for development.

Echoing many of the points put forward in the SG’s report, Member States adopted a Declaration of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development during the opening of the event (A/68/L.5). This joint declaration showed that since the first HLD, which had resulted in a Chair’s summary, trust between Member States had grown, allowing them to agree on some key principles and recommendations on international migration and development. In particular, the declaration recognizes the important contributions migrants make to countries of origin, transit and destination. It acknowledges the need to integrate both development and human rights dimensions into the migration debate and calls for safe, orderly and regular migration. The declaration also recognizes migration as a key factor for sustainable development and calls for integrating migration into the post-2015 development agenda. Other points in the declaration refer to practical initiatives to assist and support migrants stranded in vulnerable situations; to promote conditions for cheaper transfer of remittances, and to improve the collection of migration data.

The HLD was opened by the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General and the President of the Economic and Social Council. The opening also featured Sweden as the Chair of the State-led Global Forum on Migration and Development, Professor Ian Goldin as an eminent person in the field of

international migration, a migrant, and the rapporteur of the informal hearings of civil society. The Deputy-Secretary-General and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for migration Peter Sutherland participated in the closing.

Parallel to the plenary meeting, four interactive roundtables, co-chaired by Member States, were organized featuring multi-stakeholder panels, including Member States, international organizations and civil society. The round tables focused on (a) migration and the post-2015 development agenda; (b) human rights of migrants, human trafficking and migrant smuggling; (c) partnerships and cooperation in migration, and (d) regional labour mobility.

More than 100 Member States, many at the ministerial and vice-ministerial level, about 350 civil society representatives as well as numerous permanent observers and international organizations participated in the event. The role of civil society in the 2013 HLD was significantly greater than it had been in 2006. Thus, several NGO and civil society representatives were allowed to speak in the plenary, while they also participated in roundtables either as panelists or as speakers from the floor.

In their presentations, many Member States covered national practices and recommended measures to address migration challenges and to leverage migration for development. There were calls to develop a framework for the mutual recognition of qualifications and diplomas; to regulate the recruitment industry; to reduce the costs of migration, especially recruitment and remittance transfer fees; to engage diaspora groups; to respect migrant labour rights; to develop circular migration programmes; to improve the evidence base; and to promote coherence, partnerships and collaboration at the national, bilateral, regional and global levels.

For more on the High-level Dialogue, including preparatory activities, the report of the Secretary-General, the outcome documents and other relevant documentation, recordings of the meeting sessions, as well as an inventory of the statements, see http://www.un.org/esa/population/meetings/HLD2013/mainhld2013.html?main



A dynamic dialogue for Sustainable Development Goals

Major Groups and other stakeholders will have an intersessional meeting with members of the Open Working Group on sustainable development goals on 22 November , just before the Group holds its fifth session from 25 to 27 November. They will be

able to make suggestions on how the Open Working Group could address several cross-cutting issues regarding the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The meeting will be designed as a dynamic dialogue. It will help conceptualize a number of things, such as: practical approaches to rights-based SDGs that integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development; SDGs that are designed to eradicate poverty, mitigate inequalities and lead to inclusiveness; how to make good governance and multi-stakeholder partnerships the building blocks of the SDGs; how to design SDGs that foster human and economic development within planetary boundaries.

The Co-Chairs of the Open Working Group will co-chair the sessions with members of Major Groups and other stakeholders and have invited Open Working Group Member States to attend at the highest level. They will circulate a summary with highlights of the discussions at the Open Working Group’s fifth session.

Since not all stakeholders with an interest in contributing to the conversation will be able to attend the event, several measures to collect their inputs will be taken. Major Groups and other Stakeholders will be able to share their inputs in a pre-consultation ahead of 22 November, on the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform.

The intersessional meeting will be live streamed on UN Web TV and it will be possible to send comments and questions to the participants at the meeting via UN DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development’s Twitter channel (@SustDev, #SustDev).

The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.html

More information on the various forms of engagement will be published on the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform’s dedicated webpage closer to the meeting: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=484&menu=1544

Summary of the Second Committee General Debate

The Second Committee (economic and financial matters) began its work on 9 October and has concluded its traditional general debate on Friday, 11 October. Key issues emerging from the debate comprised the implementation of

the MDGs and the outcomes of Rio+20 and elaboration of the post 2015 development agenda.

The Second Committee began its work under the Chairmanship of H.E. Mr. Abdou Salam Diallo, Permanent Representative of Senegal with an organizational meeting and the election of its bureau. This was followed in the afternoon with statements by the Chairman, the USG of UN DESA, delivered on his behalf by Ms. Shamshad Akhtar, ASG of UN DESA, and a key note address by Professor Chetty of Harvard University (see article in Capacity development section).

The traditional general debate of the Second Committee was concluded on Friday 11 October 2013. Over ninety speakers participated in the debate, eight of them representing country groups (G77 and China, EU, ASEAN, LDCs, LLDCs, AOSIS, CARICOM and CELAC).

The key issues that emerged in the presentations and the debate are below:

• The analysis of economic and social policy is being transformed by new data and methods, as opposed to traditional theory-driven study of macro questions. Thus improving micro-level policy decisions can have great macro-level impacts, and harnessing big data can provide the evidence base for designing many sustainable development policies.

• The world economy was in a state of flux, driven by uncertainty and risk. Five years after the global economic and financial crisis, most developed economies were experiencing sluggish recovery, while growth in emerging economies faced new challenges, including heightened volatility of international capital flows.

• The implementation of the MDGs and the outcomes of Rio+20 and the process for the elaboration of the post



2015 development agenda stood out as the priority issue. • Climate change was seen as a critical challenge that needs

singular attention, and was linked directly to poverty eradication and the achievement of sustainable development goals.

• World economic and financial situation and global economic governance, and international development cooperation were treated simultaneously, although there were clear differences in approach between developing and developed countries, especially regarding the cause and effect of the crisis.

• On trade, developing countries led the call for fair, transparent rule-based and development oriented trade outcomes in follow-up to the Doha Round. The debate set up high expectations for the upcoming Bali conference later in the year that many said should have a successful outcome.

• Countries in special situations and Africa, with the land-locked developing countries, the least developed countries, the Small Island Developing States and Africa, supported by a many countries, continued to advocate for the need to address their special circumstances and to support the upcoming conferences on their issues.

• The QCPR, with the emphasis that it should be implemented fully, and also with the messages that funding is linked to the effective delivery of operational activities, and that “delivering as one” still needs dedicated support.

The impact of globalization: challenges and solutions

On 23 October, the Second Committee considered agenda item 21(a) on globalization and interdependence, including sub-item: The role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence.

The report of the Secretary-General, prepared for agenda item 21(a), highlights the impact of globalization on the achievement of sustainable development and explores implications for a unified, universal, people-centered sustainable development agenda for the post-2015 era. The report highlights several challenges and offers policy recommendations to address them. Ms. Shamshad Akhtar, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development, UN DESA, introduced the report of the Secretary-General (A/68/259) on this agenda item.

In particular, the report notes that the effectiveness of multilateralism should be enhanced to fully realize the opportunities created by globalization and minimize and manage its costs and risks. The United Nations could further promote multilateral coordination, coherence and accountability in the post-2015 era. Therefore, the proper functioning of the institutional framework for the review and follow-up work in the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, including the new High-level Political Forum, will be essential. There is also need for a longer-term strategy for repositioning the UN development system to address current global realities and emerging challenges and interdependencies in such dimensions as function, funding, capacity, partnerships, organizational arrangements and governance.

Shaping globalization to ensure benefits for everyone

Many delegations addressed these issues in their interventions, including representatives of the G77 and China, CARICOM, ASEAN, and the African Group. Delegates stated that globalization should be shaped to ensure that it benefits everyone by using a multilateral approach. The UN should promote coherence of review and follow up and greater coordination. The focus on middle-income countries in the report was welcomed by several Member States.

Several Member States called for a renewed global partnership to address the challenges of globalization. Delegates emphasized that international trade does not always lead to sustainable development. Trade must also be equitable, and a rules-based global trading system will help achieve more balanced development. The G77 and China also voiced their concern with the lack of access to technology by developing countries and stressed that technology transfer should be facilitated through multilateral partnerships.

Delegations also emphasized that coherent international policy support is required for the post-2015 development agenda. Multilateralism, as well as global governance, will need to be strengthened, along with strong multilateral institutions, to ensure that the post-2015 global development agenda, facilitated by an inclusive multilateral system, will be able to distribute globalization benefits for everyone.

The Secretary-General report on The role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence: http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N13/417/00/PDF/N1341700.pdf

The Second Committee of the 68th General Assembly: http://www.un.org/en/ga/second/index.shtml



Trends and Analysis

Addressing neglect, abuse and violence of older women

UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development (UN Focal Point on Ageing) will convene an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on Neglect, Abuse and Violence of Older Women on 5-7 November 2013 in New York.

One of the key areas for further action identified by Member States in the recent review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing in 2012 was violence and abuse against older persons. While this issue affects all older persons, the particular vulnerability of older women is apparent in prevalence rates. Indeed, research paints a bleak global picture on the human rights of older women, who suffer from multiple discrimination based on age and gender. In addition, research points to inadequate legal protections at both the national and international levels where older women are often invisible and hence, overlooked.

In this context, the meeting aims to inform the debate on neglect, abuse and violence against older women by addressing urgent and relevant issues in assessment and current prevention measures, as well as consideration of possible new identification and prevention measures.

The EGM will also explore the various definitions, forms, prevalence and risk factors of neglect, abuse and violence against older women and explore the institutional and societal attitudes that lead to the lack of inclusion of older women in policies, programmes and debates on violence against women.

For more information: http://undesadspd.org/Ageing/RightsofOlderPersons/EGMonNeglectAbuseandViolenceofOlderWomen.aspx

Meeting of the London Group on Environmental Accounting

The Office of National Statistics and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom will host the 19th meeting of the London Group on Environmental Economic Accounting on 12-14

November in London, UK.

Experts in environmental economic accounts and supporting statistics from countries and international/regional organizations will review and discuss training and compilation materials for the implementation of the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA). Topics to be discussed include, among others, water accounts, energy accounts, air emission accounts, forest accounts and, land and ecosystem accounts.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/newsletter/globalstat_unsd_calendar.htm#12-14Nov2013

Measuring characteristics of ecosystems

UN DESA’s Statistics Division will convene an Expert Group Meeting on Modelling Approaches and Tools for Testing of the SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting from 18 to 20 November in New York City.

During the meeting experts in measuring, modeling and mapping characteristics of ecosystem condition as well as ecosystem services will discuss models and tools to be used in pilot research and testing of the SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (EEA) framework. The meeting is aimed to bring together technical experts, pilot country representatives from national statistical offices and environmental agencies as well as international agencies to discuss the approaches available for quantifying ecosystem condition and ecosystem services at a national level. It will focus on models and tools for accounting for biodiversity, carbon, and water ecosystems (quality characteristics as well as quantity considerations). Tools and models will be reviewed based on criteria for their applicability in the context of national policy priorities and the SEEA EEA, with the objective of selecting some of these models for use in the pilot country research and testing.



For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/newsletter/globalstat_unsd_calendar.htm

Compiling water accounts and statistics

UN DESA’s Statistics Division will convene an Expert Group Meeting on the Guidelines for the Compilation of Water Accounts and Statistics from 20 to 22 November in New York.

Experts in environmental-economic accounts for water and water statistics from countries and international/regional organizations will meet to review and discuss the guidelines, which will provide country experts and trainers with a comprehensive and reliable set of materials for assisting the staff of national statistics offices, water ministries, and agencies and other stakeholders in countries, with the process of implementation of water accounts and statistics for developing a monitoring system for water policies.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/newsletter/globalstat_unsd_calendar.htm#20-22Nov2013



Capacity development

Integrating gender into Statistics

UN DESA Statistics Division and Statistics Korea (KOSTAT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and Korea Women’s Development Institute of the Republic of Korea, are organizing a seminar on

Gender Statistics from 12 to 14 November 2013 in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

The Seminar will focus on Integrating a Gender Perspective into Statistics, Time Use Statistics and Statistics on Violence against Women. The goal of the Seminar is to promote and train national statisticians on agreed international standards, share best practices and ensure collaboration and networking among gender statisticians and other relevant stakeholders, for the production, dissemination and communication of gender statistics that are policy relevant, internationally comparable and technically sound.

Quality of teaching really matters

Raj Chetty, Bloomberg Professor of Economics at Harvard University, gave a keynote address to the Second Committee of the 68th session of the General Assembly on 9 October. He presented a study on the correlation between the quality of

teachers and students’ future success , according to which, quality teachers not just improved test scores, but had long-term positive effects on the socioeconomic status of children 20 and 30 years down the line.

Professor Raj Chetty emphasized that traditional analysis of economic and social policy is being transformed by new data and methods. “The collection of “big data” including school records, tax statistics, and health registries was sparking a paradigm shift

from the traditional, theory-driven study of macro questions to the data-driven analysis of micro questions”.

In addition to the long-term positive effects of quality teachers on socioeconomic status, students with effective teachers were less likely to become pregnant, more likely to gain admission to college and get higher-paying jobs.

The study looked at 2.5 million children and their 18 million test scores, comparing the scores of students in a specific class in the beginning of a semester with their scores at the end. If their marks increased, that meant the teacher was of high-value and could increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. “Teacher quality mattered in developing countries,” Professor said, emphasizing the need to attract top talent there and noting that paying teachers based on performance significantly raised test scores.

Therefore, improving micro-level policy decisions on an economic and social policy level could have a great macro-level impact. Harnessing big data could provide scientific evidence for designing policies.

Parental support is crucial

As the floor was opened for discussion, representatives of developing countries noticed that the data presented applied more for already developed countries, whereas in many regions, such factors as nutrition quality, healthcare, housing and the presence of family are still more important than teaching. “Teachers might be good but parental support is crucial.” Moreover, even after succeeding in childhood and graduating from university, many young people from developing countries end up moving abroad in a pursuit of better life. Whereas many qualified teachers move abroad to teach in big universities.

However, according to Mr Chetty, it was a mistake to say that education did not matter there. For example, simply improving teachers’ attendance had large impact in India. Quality teachers not only generated improvements in income but also positively impacted social issues, such as teenage pregnancy and family stability. “On the issue of brain drain, reaping the benefits of education in all countries required that investment in infrastructure be geared towards providing quality jobs,” he said.

Raj Chetty website: http://www.rajchetty.com/



Shifting from power to empowerment

In support of the work of the Commission for Social Development to move forward the social development agenda, the UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development is working on a paradigm shift from powerlessness to

empowerment. On 10-11 September at UN Headquarters in New York, the Division convened an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on “Policies and strategies to promote empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all”.

In welcoming the experts and participants to the meeting, Daniela Bas, Director of UNDESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development noted that the empowerment of people played a key role in social development, as it promoted a people-centred approach to development through enabling their full participation in all aspects of political, economic and social life. She further noted that promoting the empowerment of people requires an enabling environment that supports policies, strategies, and an attitude change to permit all people of all abilities across the lifecycle to participate meaningfully in decision-making processes, especially in the design and implementation of policies that affect their lives.

Empowering social groups

The meeting focused its discussion on ways to create an enabling environment for the empowerment of people through participation and capability-strengthening. Experts examined pathways to empowering social groups such as women, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, older persons, and youth.

The unique perspectives of various social groups, including people living in poverty, women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, older persons and youth, were highlighted at the meeting. The myriad of narratives at the EGM displayed what Savitri Goonesekere called “…the international human rights system’s increasing recognition for the voice of civil society in international fora”. As expert Duncan Green, author of From Poverty to Power, stated “…building the ‘power within’ among poor and excluded

people is the essential first-step in any sustained process of empowerment”.

The experts examined successful examples from case studies in various regions, and discussed whether lessons learned from strategies to empower women can be replicated for the empowerment of other social groups.

Unlocking the full potential of all people

In search of a way to promote empowerment, the experts noted that, while it is neither possible nor desirable to formulate a single/universal set of policies and strategies to promote empowerment across all countries or contexts, Governments can adopt an “empowerment approach” to policy making and policy implementation. The approach enables a more holistic, coherent, and integrated policy making, at all levels – individual, communal (social groups and community), and institutional. This will include aligning economic, social and other sectoral policies towards unlocking the full potential of all people to lead a better life with dignity.

To tackle these tasks the “empowerment approach” highlights the importance of creating a policy space to allow strategic partnerships and coalitions among various stakeholders, including public institutions, the private sector, and civil society organizations, to emerge. Sarah Cook, the director of United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) noted that there was a need for expanding the “empowerment approach” evidence-base. This meant elucidating what works and what does not, so that the formulation and implementation of empowerment policies would be based on careful social analysis and impact assessment.

Causes of disempowerment

The meeting also helped define “empowerment strategies” as methods that focus on long-term transformation, rather than short-term gains. Such strategies aimed to achieve sustainable impact by addressing structural causes of disempowerment, including weak governance, non-transparent and ineffective institutions, narrow macroeconomic policies, lack of employment or social protection, discrimination, and insufficient investment in human capital.

Political will is key to promoting and ensuring the empowerment of people. In the words of Patience Stephens, Director of the Intergovernmental Support Division of UN Women, “… the pathway to empowerment requires strong, sustained intergovernmental initiative, action, and leadership”. In pursuit of this, the conclusions and recommendations of this EGM will provide input to a report of the Secretary-General to be submitted to the Commission for Social Development at its 52nd session in February 2014, where the priority theme is



“Empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all”.

The meeting was attended by 22 experts from academia, Governments, civil society organizations, international development agencies, and UN agencies, including the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UN Women, the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank.

Information on the Expert Group Meeting can be accessed at: http://undesadspd.org/CommissionforSocialDevelopment/Sessions/2014/EGMonEmpowermentPolicies.aspx



Publications and Websites

Statistical compilations

Monthly Bulletin of Statistics and MBS Online

The Monthly Bulletin of Statistics presents current economic and social statistics for more than 200 countries and territories of the world. It contains over 50 tables of monthly and/or bimonthly, quarterly and annual data on a variety of subjects illustrating important economic trends and developments, including population, prices, employment and earnings,

energy, manufacturing, transport, construction, international merchandise trade and finance.

Vol. LXVII – No. 9, September 2013

In addition to the regular recurrent monthly tables, this issue includes the quarterly and annual tables: Earnings in non-agricultural activities by sex; Fuel imports, developed economies: unit value and volume indices, and value; Indicators on fuel imports: developed economies; External trade conversion factors; Manufactured goods exports: unit value indices, volume indices and value; Exports by commodity classes and by regions: developed economies; and Selected series of world statistics.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mbs

Meeting records

Internet Governance for Sustainable Human, Economic and Social Development

The publication documents the proceedings of the Seventh Annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Meeting. The meeting was convened in Baku from 6-9 November 2012 under the overall theme of “Internet Governance for Sustainable Human, Economic and Social Development”.

To download: http://workspace.unpan.org/sites/Internet/Documents/IGF%202012%20Proceedings%20Book_Baku%20Azerbaijan.pdf

Outreach material

Sustainable Development in Action – Issue 9, Volume 1

The latest newsletter, published by UN DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development, aims to highlight the work carried out by Member States, the UN, Major Groups and other relevant stakeholders in implementing sustainable development and leading the way to the Future We Want.

Read full issue: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=12&nr=668&menu=1532

Youth Flash Newsletter

September and October issues are available online. The newsletter is published by UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development Focal Point on Youth to keep the public informed about the work of the UN on youth issues. It is prepared with input from UN offices, agencies, and from youth organizations around the world.

Read full issue:

http://undesadspd.org/Youth/YouthFlashNewsletter/2013/September.aspx

http://undesadspd.org/Youth/YouthFlashNewsletter/2013/October.aspx

Enable Newsletter

Prepared by the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD) within UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development, the ‘High-Level Meeting on Disability and Development (HLMDD) 2013 – Special Issue’ is now available. The newsletter features input from UN offices, agencies, funds and programmes, and civil society.

Read full issue: http://www.un.org/disabilities/latest.asp?id=169

DESA NGO News

The October issue published by UN DESA’s NGO Branch, provides the most up-to-date information on news and upcoming events of interest to civil society at UN headquarters in New York, Geneva and elsewhere.

Read full issue: http://csonet.org/index.php?menu=109



Discussion papers

Monthly Briefing on the World Economic Situation and Prospects No. 58 & 59

Published by DESA’s Development Policy and Analysis Division, September and October issues are available online.

To download:

http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/wesp/wesp_mb/wesp_mb58.pdf

http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/wesp/wesp_mb/wesp_mb59.pdf



Comings and Goings

Comings

The following staff members were promoted in October:

Josephine Melody Cruz, Meetings Services Assistant, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination

Roy Lamazon, Programme Assistant, Division for Sustainable Development

Mohammad Markie Muryawan, Chief of Section, Statistics Division

Yun-Hui Sheng, Administrative Officer, Executive Office

Goings

The following staff members retired in October:

Tewodros Yohannes, Statistics Assistant, Statistics Division

Ralph Wahnschafft, Sr. Economic Affairs Officer, Division for Sustainable Development



Calendar November Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on Neglect, Abuse and Violence of Older Women 5-7 November, New York http://undesadspd.org/Ageing/RightsofOlderPersons/EGMonNeglectAbuseandViolenceofOlderWomen.aspx 19th meeting of the London Group on Environmental Economic Accounting 12-14 November, London http://unstats.un.org/unsd/newsletter/globalstat_unsd_calendar.htm#12-14Nov2013 Seminar on Gender Statistics 12-14 November, Incheon, Republic of Korea http://unstats.un.org/unsd/newsletter/globalstat_unsd_calendar.htm Expert Group Meeting on Modelling Approaches and Tools for Testing of the SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting 18-20 November, New York http://unstats.un.org/unsd/newsletter/globalstat_unsd_calendar.htm Expert Group Meeting on the Guidelines for the Compilation of Water Accounts and Statistics 20-22 November, New York http://unstats.un.org/unsd/newsletter/globalstat_unsd_calendar.htm#20-22Nov2013 Intersessional Meeting between Major Groups and other stakeholders and the Open Working Group on SDGs 22 November, New York http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=484&menu=1544

December International Day of Persons with Disabilities 3 December http://www.un.org/disabilities/index.asp Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, Sixth session 9-13 December, New York http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=490&menu=1476

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DESA News, November 2013

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Transcript of DESA News, November 2013